Child seat capable of being integrated into a motor-vehicle seat

• US 5,660,437 A
• Filed: 07/18/1996
• Issued: 08/26/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C ROB Hammerstein GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: C R Hammerstein GmbH &AMP Company KG
• Inventors: Bruhnke, Ulrich, Klink, Josef, Schlaffke, Hans-Jurgen, Fausel, Joachim, Kohl, Horst, Krischen, Frank, Bauer, Heinz, Becker, Burckhard, Frohnhaus, Ernst-Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US08/683,163
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 297/236, 297/237, 297/344.15, 297/411.33, 248/407, 248/408, 248/281.1, 248/157, 248/423
• US Class Current: 297/237
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3086 Disappearing in a recess of the cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods

Abstract

A child seat for a motor vehicle is adjustable between a lower retracted state at the normal seat height of the motor vehicle seat, and an unfolded position in which the child seat stands out from the normal seat height for occupation by a child. A frame and a supporting structure are connected and hinge-jointed to each other by front and rear parallelogram arms. At least one diagonal locking brace is hinged on one side to one of the frame, the supporting structure and one of the parallelogram arms, and on an other side is guided by a tranverse part in a longitudinal guide. A locking segment has at least one holding notch to accommodate the transverse part, with flanks extending transversely to the longitudinal guide and a handle for releasing the tranverse part from the holding notch. The handle extends over a region of a front surface of the child seat.

Claims

1. In combination, a child seat and a motor vehicle seat, wherein the child seat is adjustable between a lower retracted state at a normal seat height of the motor vehicle seat, and an unfolded position in which the child seat stands out from the normal seat height of the motor vehicle seat, the combination comprising:

a frame and a supporting structure, which are connected and hinge-jointed to each other by front and rear parallelogram arms;

at least one diagonal locking brace, which on one side is hinged to one of the frame, the supporting structure and one of the rear parallelogram arms, and on an other side is guided by a transverse part having an end portion coupled to the diagonal locking brace, the end portion being engaged in a longitudinal guide of at least one of the front parallelogram arms;

a locking segment hingedly coupled to the front parallelogram arm, said locking segment having at least one holding notch to accommodate the end portion of the transverse part that is extending transversely to the longitudinal guide and a handle for releasing the end portion from the at least one holding notch, said handle extending over a region of a front surface of the child seat.

2. The combination according to claim 1, further comprising a spring associated with at least one said parallelogram arm, and wherein the spring in a normal position prestresses the child seat when the supporting structure is not under a load in such a way that the child seat stands up by a distance above the retracted state.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the spring comprises one of a leg spring and a leaf spring bent to a V-shape, and encompasses a hinge point of one of the parallelogram arms.

4. The combination according to claim 2, further comprising means for locking the child seat, located movably below the supporting structure, the means for locking on one side having a catch which in the retracted state of the child seat extends under a projecting locking member of the frame and locks in the retracted state, and on an other side is connected by an arm to the locking segment such that by activation of the handle the locking means is released by disengaging the catch and the projecting locking member.

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the locking means is associated with a pullback spring, which prestresses the catch and the locking segment toward a locked position.

6. The combination according to claim 4, further comprising a locking component which blocks the means for locking when the supporting structure is under a load.

7. The combination according to claim 6, wherein one of the holding notches of the locking segment has flanks, and an open end of the flanks closer to a swivel shaft of the locking segment than depth of the holding notch.

8. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the spring is associated with a rear one of the parallelogram arms.

9. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the distance is between about 20 and 60 millimeters.

10. The combination according to claim 9, whereto the distance is about 40 millimeters.

11. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the locking segment has at least two holding notches for the adjustment of the supporting structure to at least two different unfolded positions.

12. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure is adjustable to at least two different unfolded positions by the end portion of the transverse part being hinge-jointed to a sliding part guided in the longitudinal guide.

13. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure has upholstery and further comprising aprons coupling the upholstery of the supporting structure to upholstery of the vehicle seat.

14. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a flat member which is placed upon and fastened to a seat support of the motor vehicle seat equipped with the child seat.

15. The combination according to claim 1, wherein in the retracted state the parallelogram arms reside in one plane.

16. The combination according to claim 1, further comprising a guide part for a lap belt on either side of the supporting structure, through which the lap belt can be threaded.

17. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the diagonal locking brace is put under tension by a load placed on the supporting structure.

18. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the diagonal locking brace has a region which is extendible under application of energy.

19. The combination according to claim 18, wherein the extendible region comprises one of a meander-, S- and Z-shaped region of the diagonal locking brace.

20. The combination according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic component located movably on the supporting structure and extending when prestressed, and wherein said elastic component connected to a blocking member, the elastic component having an elasticity chosen such that the blocking member is at a first position when the seat is not under a load and at a second position when the seat is under a load approximating a weight of a child, and wherein only in the unfolded position and only in the second position of the blocking member is the blocking member disposed to prevent movement of one of the locking segment and a component connected to the locking segment for obstructing movement of the child seat out of the unfolded position.